Ipswich Little Theatre – Raising the Roof

Raising the roof at Ipswich Little Theatre

Visitors to our theatre will know that Ipswich Little Theatre is a multi-cultural community theatre of voluntary workers. We have groups for primary school children from ages 6 to 13, a youth group, a group for people with disabilities (the only such volunteer group in Queensland) and a group who perform for the ‘early childhood’ market, thus introducing the children of Ipswich to live theatre. We run the longest existing Drama Festival in Queensland, and offer the complex for a Theatre Lunch experience, thereby helping our tourism industry. Our main house Theatre offers half its performances, at a 50% discount, to charitable organisations for fundraising. Over the years we have put in the order of $1,000,000 back into the community through this scheme.

Now – for the first time – we are appealing to the community to help us.

For the comfort of our patrons, we are about to construct a ‘glass’ ceiling to fly over our courtyard area which will greatly enhance this beautiful building. This will cost $250,000. Our own members are lending us money to allow us to proceed. We want to repay this extraordinary generosity as quickly as possible.

We are looking for donations of any amount, sponsorship or just box office support as you spread the word about our activities. Please consider how you could help us.

Donations of $50 or more will be acknowledged in one newsletter and one programme

Donations of $1000 or more will be acknowledged in newsletters and programmes for 12 months.

Donations of $5000 or more will be permanently recorded in the courtyard

All donations (other than anonymous) will be permanently recorded on ourwebsitee

Clicking on the ‘DONATE NOW’ button will allow you to donate to us. If you have already bought tickets with us you can log in with your ticket account or if not, you can create a new account. Anything you could spare would be amazing!

1936 –80 years ago –a little building designed by Walter Burley Griffin, architect of our capital city Canberra, was opened in Ipswich. It was the city’s municipal incinerator.

1961 –55 years ago –the building was abandoned as an incinerator after 35 years and condemned to demolition

In 1969the Town Hall was closed down, and desperate for a performance space, members of ILT with public support obtained a lease for the Incinerator and converted it to an intimate theatre, thereby saving the iconic building.

Over a period of 47 years the company has changed the building from the image above to this with virtually no external funding and no borrowing power as we do not own the property. Over the years we have spent (in today’s money) approximately $3,000,000 on the complex. This has come from box office sales and our own enterprises.

This has significantly increased the value and the usefulness of the building and preserved it for our city.